When it comes to color and variety, flowers are among the most photographed topics across the globe. Flowers seem to lift the spirits of most people and they’re ideal to photograph whether they’re in a garden, a vase, or are just growing wild. They are filled with natural beauty and come in a lovely assortment of shapes and colours that easily charm and enchant the viewers’ eye.
It’s not very difficult getting some excellent shots of flowers, but there are a few tips that you can follow to make sure you get to capture the best images possible.
1. Use a Simple Background
Since the flowers are going to be the highlight of the photos you don’t want the background to be competing with them. It’s a good idea to try and keep the background simple by placing a piece of cardboard behind the flower or flowers. The cardboard could be black or coloured to help the flowers stand out in the frame.
2. Get Close
You don’t want to have to use a magnifying glass to see the flowers in your photographs. Try and get as close to them as you can before shooting. If it’s not going to be easy getting physically near them, then you could use a bigger lens to zoom in on the flowers.
3. Try an Assortment of Angles
When photographing flowers it’s a good idea to use a bit of creativity and take shots from a few different viewpoints. You can kneel down so you’re on the same level as the flowers and you can take the shots from above them as this will enable you to create patterns.
4. Use Creative Lighting
You can also get some wonderful effects when shooting flowers by experimenting with the lighting. For example, if you use a backlight it will be able to shine through the flowers. This can create a spectacular glowing effect. In addition, if you take the photos on a cloudy day you’ll usually be able to reveal some of the flowers’ subtle hues.
5. Mind the Wind
If you’re trying to take photos of flowers on a windy day it’s going to be a bit harder to get good shots. If the flowers are blowing around you can take one of them inside and place it in a vase near a window. If you don’t have the option of going indoors you might be able to use a piece of cardboard to cut down on the wind. If the cardboard is coloured it can even be used as a background.
6. Stay out of Direct Sunlight
You don’t want to take your photos in direct sunlight. The flowers may look fantastic, but there’s too much contrast. It’s a better idea to take the shots in overcast conditions. This will make the flowers look more colourful and bright. If you do take them in sunlight you can use a polarising filter on the camera to cut down on the glare and enhance the colours.
7. Use Low ISO and a Tripod
There will be less noise in the photos if you use a low ISO setting such as 100. Using a tripod will also keep your camera nice and still.
8. Try a Macro Lens
Using a 1:1 macro lens will give you some amazing close-up images of the flowers.
9. Experiment with Focus
Images of flowers can often look great when only part of the flower is in focus. It’s a good idea to experiment and see what effects you like the best.
10. Depth of Field
You can also get some exceptional images by using the camera’s depth of field to blur the background. This will allow the flowers to stand out.
